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Many mental health professionals have grave doubts about online therapy. Although questions about online privacy are important, there are even more critical questions about the absence of the subtle nonverbal cues that are such an important part of face-to-face interactions. Despite these issues, the growth of online therapy is probably inevitable, and it would be a disservice to visitors to this site if we did not acknowledge the existence of these services. One such site is http://www.egetgoing.com, which offers a drug and alcohol treatment program over the Internet. This program is an extension of the services offered by CRC Corporation, which operates 28 on-site facilities in three states. Clients can see the therapist on their monitors and interact with other clients via a microphone and a headset, while remaining anonymous. The program is a version of the 12-step program made famous by Alcoholics Anonymous. Other services are available at http://onlineclinics.com. It is good to see that the authors of this site describe the limitations of online counseling. They also offer advice on the handling of emergencies, and on finding therapists for in-person counseling. A wealth of information about online mental health resources and their effectiveness is available at www.ismho.org, and Metanoia, at http://www.metanoia.org/imhs/, offers access to and information about therapists. An article by Rebecca Segall in the May, 2000, in Psychology Today reports her personal experiences with online counseling and outlines the state of the art as of that time. The article is available online at this web site. The field has undergone rapid change since then, and literally hundreds of professionals are engaged in online counseling as of November, 2002. Many of the technical problems have been solved, at least partially, and videoconferencing makes online therapy more similar to in-person therapy. We still need research to tell us when online counseling is appropriate, and how its effectiveness for each situation compares to that of in-person therapy.Last updated 12/19/03 |
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